ADAM Chicksen is being lined up to play in a mask when he returns.

City's left back has returned to the training ground this week – his first involvement since fracturing his cheek bone in the opening game against Blackpool.

Under the Football Association guidelines on concussion, Chicksen was unable to do anything for the first couple of weeks after suffering the injury.

He is still a fortnight off from joining in with proper contact in training but the club have made moves about having a mask made that he can play in.

Bantams boss Stuart McCall said: "It's been ordered so they are expecting that to arrive in the next couple of days.

"It's good to have Chicks back and he's okay to do cardio work such as running on the treadmill and using the exercise bike.

"He's been working hard in the gym and we're looking to get him outside on the grass. I don't think he's in any pain any more but obviously he hasn't been about running at full pelt yet.

"But if he can go outside and it doesn't bring any pain on, which I don't think it will, then maybe he can join in tomorrow when we are doing the warm-up and passing drill – all the non-contact stuff.

"The surgeon was quite confident that he should be back able to do full contact four weeks from the incident. That's another fortnight from now but fitness-wise he'll be fine by then, so there's no reason why not."

Chicksen clashed heads with Blackpool opponent Oliver Turton just 13 minutes into his City debut as they jumped together for a high ball.

He was briefly unconscious after the impact and had to be stretchered off before recovering at Bradford Royal Infirmary after the game.

McCall said: "I'm not sure if he can remember the incident but he has seen it again. His missus showed him a couple of days after on his phone.

"But I've spoken to him and he seems really upbeat. He said he had loved the atmosphere of the first game and he's desperate to be back and sample that again. It's good for him to be involved around the place again."

Jordan Gibson and Ellis Hudson both featured in a behind-closed-doors game at Notts County yesterday for a young City side. Gibson scored in a 2-0 win. 

But Dan Pybus and Danny Devine were kept back by McCall to train with the first-team squad, while German striker Joel Grodowski missed out with an ongoing back problem.

McCall had considered giving Charlie Wyke another run-out but felt it would be better for the striker to start the week with two full-on training sessions.

Wyke's appearance from the bench against Blackburn was his first since tearing a hamstring in Austria last month.